Sara Kaiangi finds her own voice
It was pretty cool realising I could have independence and do things for myself! Before Project K I was quite shy. When I saw an ambassador speaking at our school I loved her confidence. She said she did lots of speaking and promoting the programme and I was so impressed. I was intrigued and liked her story. I wondered if I could gain confidence and speak as she did, too…
Project K was such a great experience. When I finished the 18-night camp I really didn’t want to leave. Finding my independence and gaining confidence were the two biggest achievements for me. I also felt really inspired to keep my fitness levels up after the camp – we were outdoors exercising every day and I realised how good exercise made me feel.
My family was really involved with me through Project K. Everyone noticed I had a newfound energy.
I enjoyed my mentor and also loved the community aspect of Project K. I was involved with coaching a junior school’s water polo team. It was so cool to have a bond with younger students and be able to mentor them in a way, too.
Being accepted onto the National Youth Advisory Board was so exciting. I got to fly up to Auckland and it was my first time on a plane – it was so good. Here I was again, being me, by myself, sharing my ideas while learning and meeting a bunch of great people.